Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
God who works through generations
“Is
anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you,
about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (14)
This
passage is based on the experience of Abraham and Sarah, and the promise that
God Himself made to them. The promise was that they would give birth to
nations. Although this promise was getting harder and harder to believe,
considering that both Abraham and Sarah were well advanced in their years.
Their
lack of faith
Abraham’s
lack of faith is seen in Genesis 17:17: “Then Abraham fell on his face and
laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred
years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child” Sarah also
showed herself to be faithless in Genesis 18:12 “So Sarah laughed to herself,
saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”. They
thought they were too old to have a child. Sarah even laughed to herself when
the Lord said this, not knowing God knows all our thoughts and deeds. Yet,
still the Lord kept his word and gave them a son, Isaac. Nothing is impossible
for God. They decided to go on the knowledge of what they thought they
knew instead of trusting the Lord. They failed to realize that God’s omnipotent
power is not bound by human understanding.
Our
lives are filled with examples of God’s faithfulness, despite our lack of
it. We all have doubt. We are human after all. But God
continues to love us despite our flaws, and delivers us in His perfect
time. It is up to us to accept this absolute fact, and apply it to our
lives. His eternal devotion to His children, despite our continued
questioning of Him is perfectly illustrated in an excerpt from the poem,
“Footprints in the Sand”: “Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you,
you would walk with me all the way; But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't
understand why in times when I needed you the most, you should leave me. The
Lord replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one
set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
Prayer:Father of all
creations, you are worthy to be praised. All things are possible through you.
Give us the wisdom to seek your will and purpose for us. Help us to understand
you are in control of our lives. We pray that you would be with our families
now and the generations to come. Amen.
Thought
for the day:
“When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
Benjie and Silgie, St. Thomas MTC, NY